Blankets and comforters, such as down comforters, provide an extra layer of comfort and warmth to those who choose to use them while sleeping. For example, a down comforter provides more warmth and comfort as compared to sleeping under only a top sheet of a sheet set applied to a bed. However, because of the bulk/size of comforters and blankets, they can be very difficult to properly clean. In order to diminish the need for direct cleaning and extend the life thereof, these blankets and comforters are often covered with (and/or inserted within) what is known as a duvet cover. The duvet cover protects the blanket or comforter while, at the same time, contributes an aesthetically appealing element to the bed when positioned atop the bed. When used in place of a top sheet, as many persons choose to do, the duvet cover is in regular contact with the human body and therefore should be cleaned on a regular basis. This cleaning necessitates removal of the duvet cover from the blanket or comforter.
One conventional version of a duvet cover 500 is shown in FIG. 10. The duvet cover 500 is defined by a top panel 502 of fabric material and a bottom panel 504 of fabric material, which are generally permanently coupled together, such as by stitching, along a first portion 506 of the periphery thereof, and which define an opening 508 along a second portion 510 of the periphery thereof. This opening 508 may be permanently open, or in some embodiments, the opening 508 may be selectively closed by a connection mechanism such as the zipper 512 shown in FIG. 10. The blanket or comforter 514, or some other similar type of filler, is pushed through the opening 508 to be sandwiched between the top and bottom panels 502, 504, in a similar fashion as inserting a pillow into a pillowcase. However, unlike a pillow, the blanket or comforter 514 is substantially large in size and capable of bunching up or folding over itself when being inserted into the duvet cover 500 through the opening 508. This can cause significant difficulties and delays when an operator tries to properly position the blanket or comforter 514 within the duvet cover 500. Likewise, removing the large blanket or comforter 514 from within the duvet cover 500 can also be difficult and time-consuming. Even when connection mechanisms such as the zipper 512 are provided to widen the opening 508, these difficulties still exist, and moreover, the zipper 512 is prone to defective operations as well. These deficiencies are exacerbated in commercial contexts such as hotels and hospitals, where bedding materials can require washing every day, in some circumstances.
Furthermore, in those commercial contexts, the washing and follow-up processing of bedding materials is often performed by large commercial or industrial washers, dryers, and folding/ironing equipment. Each of these systems can cost multiple thousands of dollars (or hundreds of thousands of dollars), so avoiding the inclusion of features on bedding materials which can potentially damage these commercial/industrial machines is important. For example, the commercial ironing and folding equipment can process fabric materials of many varieties, but any metallic or hard materials such as buttons or zippers tend to damage the equipment during operation (or become melted or damaged themselves, in the case of buttons and the like). As such, the conventional duvet cover 500 like the one shown in FIG. 10 cannot be used in commercial contexts where all linens get processed through these machines, which could be damaged by the zipper 512, for example. The alternative of hand processing all the duvet covers is typically not a viable option in most commercial contexts, at least as a result of the large number of linen/bedding sets that need to be cleaned every day, and the complexity and difficulty of assembling the duvet cover with the blanket or comforter after each cleaning.
Conventional duvet covers therefore do not find as significant of use as would be expected in places like hotels, as a result of complications resulting from the potential need to remove and replace a duvet cover on a plurality of beds every single day of operation, as well as the limiting factors of types of bedding materials that can be processed in commercial/industrial washing, drying, and ironing/folding machines. Additionally, the conventional designs for duvet covers are fairly labor-intensive to assemble and thus come with added manufacturing costs, which can further discourage commercial hotel and hospital operators from purchasing and using such products. Accordingly, bedding options and decorative options that can be offered to guests and patients are often reduced in these fields.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a new duvet cover or similar cover system that addresses these and other drawbacks of conventional designs of duvet covers, including covers like the one shown in FIG. 10.